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Maybe Sri Lanka won’t create big spinning wickets against Pakistan: Shaun Tait

The head of the pace-bowling unit of the Pakistan team, Shaun Tait, feels that Sri Lanka might not go ahead to produce spinning wickets in the two-match red-ball series to be played later this month against them.


In the ongoing Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia, the spinners have been successful in picking out 25 out of 30 wickets in the first fixture at Galle. 


Tait has reckoned that the Australian team bowled well to win the first red-ball fixture. However, he added that Sri Lanka needs to be careful when preparing the pitch for the Pakistan series. 


"There are talks around spin, obviously, for obvious reasons," Tait told ESPNcricinfo. "But I think, you know, you [Pakistan] might be the team that changes that for sure. Maybe Sri Lanka doesn't want to create big spinning wickets against Pakistan,"


"It's a sort of what they did against Australia, and Australia bowled really well. So you've got to be a little bit careful with opposition coming with good spinners and creating turning tracks that can also favour the opposition."


The 39-year-old hopes that the fast bowling group consisting of Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf will take wickets regularly and change people's mindset about the subcontinent pitches. 


"I'm looking at a fast-bowling group, we're just going to come in positive, and maybe we're going to bowl some more overs. We're going to change a few things and change a few people's minds and bowl really well there and take some wickets as well," added Tait. 


"You look at the guys like Hassan Ali or Shaheen Shah [Afridi], they had [an] excellent last season. Naseem Shah's coming off a great series against Australia, and the way Harris Rauf is so excited to make your claim in Test cricket."


Australia is the only team who can play well in any condition: Tait


The former pacer has reckoned that the Australian team can prevail over the spinners and the pacers, which is a rare commodity in international cricket. 


Earlier this year, the Aussie team won the three-match red-ball series 1-0 in Pakistan and went on to continue the momentum to register a dominating win in the recent Test fixture against Sri Lanka. 


"If you can get a team together that can play in any condition or a squad together that you've got players available that can both spin and bat in certain conditions and also have great fast bowlers, that is the key. Right now, I would say Australia probably has that," Tait added. 


In their last Tour to the Island country, Pakistan secured a 2-1 series victory in the longest format. The leg-spinner Yasir Shah had returned as the leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps in three appearances. 


The 36-year-old spinner will also look to grab this opportunity and continue the same form in this Tour.